A Practical Guide To Holistic Living

Organic Germanium - Enhancing Our Health And Our Lives

This book has attempted to bring together the many aspects currently known regarding the therapeutic uses of organic Germanium. The topics covered span a wide range of issues and illnesses, including environmental pollution from radiation and heavy metals, modulation of the immune and nervous system, and some of the presently not-understood and esoteric properties of organic Germanium, which suggest that its healing abilities may work at levels beyond the physical.

Organic Germanium as a substance seems to enhance and enrich our health, and restore balance to whatever system is "dis-eased". Really, in a nutshell, this is what holistic living is all about - learning and knowing about ourselves and our fellow earthly creatures, attuning to and attempting to realize our innate potential at every level. This particular element, for reasons not entirely discernable, appears to embody and promotemovement toward what we seek during our life.

Holistic Health Practices

There are a plethora of different health-enhancing substances and practices available to us in this "New Age". We don't have to be expert clinicians or practitioners to have access to the wisdom of the ages that has been "rediscovered" and re-introduced to us at this time. These include the many dietary therapies, Chinese medicine and herbs, essential oils, homeopathy, acupuncture, crystal and colour healing. We can certainly benefit from the information available on the various techniques and avail ourselves of these therapies when the need arises.

This chapter is an attempt to discuss and bring together, at a commonsense level, some of the many practical ways in which we can significantly enhance our health. The following sections review the current wisdom from orthodox and alternative perspectives concerning factors we can control in our lives, namely what we eat, the amount of exercise we take, and our attitudes to living and relating.

Diet

Of all the factors in our daily life, choosing what we eat is one of the simplest and most effective ways in which we can profoundly influence our health and our attitude toward living. There are many dietary systems. Some of the more well-known include Macrobiotics, Raw Food such as the Gerson Diet, Vegetarian and the Rainbow Diet, in which different colour foods are eaten with an awareness of their correspondences to different Chakras. Each dietary system usually encompasses a universal philosophy, which goes beyond merely the physical or nutritional basis of foods. Each dietary system embodies truth and wisdom - it is for each of us to choose whatever diet resonates with our being.
During our lifetime, we may go through many changes in our eating practices - after many years of being Macrobiotic, we may find that we wish to now incorporate more raw food into our diet. Or, after years of being Vegetarian, we may feel comfortable with occasionally eating fish or chicken. Holistic living includes a flexible approach and respect to our growth and needs. What we eat represents more than simply ingesting ingredients - if we take nourishment with awareness and gratitude for its sustenance, then cooking and eating become part of an entire outlook on life that harmonizes with good health.

Irrespective of whichever diet chosen, there are several common principles which embody good health practice. These include:

1. Choose whole and natural foods and avoid foods and products which have been chemically adulterated. This includes white flour and its products, white rice and packaged convenience foods.
2. Centre the diet on fruits, vegetables and whole grains, supplemented with other foods such as fish, poultry or dairy products.
3. Avoid sugar in all forms, including white and brown sugar and honey.
4. Avoid red meat, eggs, and high fat dairy products.
5. Avoid immune-depressant substances such as coffee, tea, tobacco, alcohol and recreational drugs.

Nutritional Supplements

In an ideal world with balanced agricultural practices, equal distribution of soil nutrients, no atmospheric or industrial pollution, radiation, no stress - perhaps sitting atop the rarified atmosphere of the Himalayas - we could, if we led a simple, hard-working life, get all that we needed from our natural diet. And, indeed, an extremely healthy active person may not need to supplement his diet all the time. However, in view of the reality of "civilized" life, with its pollution, radiation, exhaust fumes, etc., we all could probably benefit from nutritional supplementation from time to time.

Again, as in all things, commonsense and discrimination should be operative words in choosing what supplements to take. There are a myriad of brands available at most health food stores, and stocking up on everything is extremely expensive and results in "popping" many different capsules every day, which somehow doesn't feel very natural. Accordingly, learn about the various vitamins and minerals and their therapeutic properties (15,41), and be sensible about your choices. Read the label carefully and don't buy brands with sugar (sucrose, fructose). For a generally healthy person, a multi-vitamin and mineral tablet may provide an adequate boost to the daily diet; to a person very ill with cancer or AIDS or with a heart condition, then it may be advisable to take mega doses of immune-enhancing vitamins, minerals and other extracts.
The most important vitamins and minerals which have known therapeutic properties by virtue of being immune-enhancers, free radical scavengers, blood sugar or neuroendocrine modulators include (5,113):

Vitamins: A, B6, Folic Acid, Pantothenic Acid, C, E.

Minerals: Iron, Magnesium, Chromium GTF, Zinc, Selenium, Organic Germanium (2,32,35,65,79,81).

In addition to these main supplements, there are many additional health food supplements, such as herbs (ginseng), amino acids and substances such as seaweeds, algae and royal jelly. Again, trust your intuition and discrimination and read the literature carefully to ensure that these products will be of benefit to you.

Exercise

Every tradition encourages exercise. From the age-old and contemporary practices of yoga, the oriental martial arts, running, swimming, dancing, skiing, or just plain walking, exercise is good for mind and body. At the mental level, exercise provides a focus for our concentration, and an outlet for expressing pent-up emotions. Exercise when practised as an art can be an exquisite meditation, the ultimate harmonization of mind and body. At the body level, movement benefits the immune system, strengthens the cardiac system and can increase flexibility, agility and coordination.

We all know the above, and yet many of us, including myself, do not exercise as optimally as we could. Any programme of exercise, no matter how limited, is of great benefit, because movement can provide one of the greatest sources and inlets to transcendent feelings of calmness, well-being and even ecstasy. Vide the "highs" experienced by long-distance runners.

To make it easy and practical to exercise, determine to spend at least five minutes each morning for some form of exercise. This could entail anything from stretching, yoga, dancing or walking to the corner and back. A five minute commitment is not too great for any person, yet can produce great benefits.

The most important thing to remember about exercise is that it ought to be enjoyable. Embarking on a fitness routine that is painful or loathesome defeats the entire purpose, which is to enjoy the sheer action of moving the body. Also, choose practices which harmonize with your age, physical condition and body needs, and which don't torture old injuries or inflict new ones. Be very practical - if the nearest swimming pool is half an hour away and lacks hairdryers, then perhaps swimming should not be your daily exercise.

This is not to deter anyone from following an exercise plan which may be challenging and present difficulties. The advice on choosing simple and short is merely a device to cajole lazy and/or forgetful and unmotivated people from starting to get moving. Any regime which is relished should be indulged in and utilized to full advantage.

Environmental Factors

Our environment has a profound effect on the immune system and our entire outlook to living. Environment includes such things as sunlight, which stimulates immune function, radiation, water and air quality. Exposure to sunlight, even five minutes per day (without glasses), is an excellent boost to overall good health. The air we breathe and the water we drink, may all contain poisons such as heavy metals and carcinogens, and may severely limit our oxygen supply, so vital for good health. While it is not always possible to vary where we live, it is possible to make choices about the location of our home based on priorities which support optimum health.

Relating To Healthcare: Commonsense And Discrimination

As consumers, we are fortunate indeed to be able to benefit from the knowledge of the orthodox and alternative medical healing professions. However, all too often, due to our unwillingness or inability to take responsibility for our own health, we place ourselves passively into the hands of the "men in the white coats", expecting them to make us well. This is not to disparage the intent or expertise of the medical profession - modern medicine has achieved much that is invaluable to our lives - rather, this is more a comment on our incredible gullibility and inexplicable faith we have for the mortals in whose care we entrust our bodies. We as health care consumers, sometimes surrender our personal power to another person, in whom we invest the authority to heal us.

When we wish to purchase a car, house, stereo, or even a suit or dress, we may spend hours, days or even longer researching what is available, discussing the merits of the available products, doubting and being sceptical about what the sales(wo)men tell us, trying it, asking the opinions of our friends or lovers, before making a final decision. However, when we take ourselves or our children to the doctor, dentist or any other practitioner, we are often handed a prescription which we have dispensed at the chemist without even knowing what has been the diagnosis or what medication has been prescribed. Of course, in theory, these things should be discussed at the time of treatment. However,in the absence of such information, how often do we "interview" the practitioner about the various kinds of treatments available, what types of side-effects they may have, what will happen if we don't take any medication, etc. etc.

Ultimately, we must decide which treatment we choose, ideally in a cooperative and mutually-enriching relationship with the practitioner. The qualities of discrimination, compassion, wisdom and understanding are all essential ingredients in healing. These should be exercised by the consumer as well as the practitioner. Practitioners have a responsibility to inform and take the utmost care in treating and advising their clients, acting in a manner that serves the highest ideals of their profession. We as consumers have the responsibility to be fully informed and cooperate in an active way with the course of treatment. In this symbiotic fashion, both parties will gain the most.

We are our only healers. Doctors, practitioners, therapists, can and do certainly help us to heal ourselves, however, it is ultimately we who have the illness or condition, and no one can know more about all the details of ourselves than we can. There are definitely times to go to the doctor, take certain medications, undergo surgery, etc. etc. There are also times when less radical procedures, or perhaps simply relaxing and taking better care of ourselves will work, without having to subject our bodies to drugs, or to needlessly waste our time and that of the practitioner.

Well-Being At The Emotional And Spiritual Level

Taking steps to view our life from a holistic perspective has certain inevitable consequences, which all lead to change. First and foremost, the choice to take responsibility for our life puts us squarely in the driver's seat - we control and create our life. We have always been in control, but may not have been aware of it. Additionally, viewing and experiencing life from a holistic perspective means exploring all angles - positive, negative, logical, intuitive, sensible, irrational. This may be threatening to our beloved sense of security and perhaps result in major explorations outside of narrow career goals, but will ultimately result in heightened awareness, personal development and spiritual maturity. And, despite our very real and human feelings of inadequacy, hopelessness and despair, there is nothing more exhilarating and challenging in life than a sense of adventure engendered by knowing that we are our own potential instrument of change.

As we progress further along the path of self-discovery, there comes a point at which we glimpse some fragment of who we are, and perhaps why we are here or what out true inner essence is. In my view, if life has any "purpose", it is to enable us to realize the fulfilment of our truest potential. This is not spoken of from an outwardly ambitious viewpoint of money and career, but rather from a perspective of finding deep enriching satisfaction in our lives.

Each of us is unique, and we are always moving towards the attainment of our individual paths. Within each of us is our own inner wisdom, intuition and knowing which can guide us in our individual quests toward self-realization and fulfillment. Dr. Asai found deep spiritual satisfaction and realized many insights with his discoveries and development of organic Germanium. For each of us, this search and discovery will take many different forms. Only our inner voices can guide us to the treasures contained within. Good health and life-enhancing practices are invaluable assets which we should strive to maintain in order to arrive at our destinies.

Fun And Self-Acceptance

In conclusion and above all else, fun and enjoyment is of principal importance. "Seriousness" can become a number one disease. Fun means giving yourself permission to be yourself - not some good little child. We can all benefit from being in touch with our mischievous side, remembering a few good jokes, not being so boringly predictable. For, no matter how well we plan things, or how careful we may be, we never know for certain for how long we will be around. The best recipe for a happy life is to enjoy every moment to its fullest. To relish everything, the bad, the sad along with the happy, to experiment and not be afraid of making mistakes, because there are no such thing as mistakes, only lessons.

Esoteric And Speculative Aspects Of Organic Germanium

Transcending The Mind - Entering Spiritual Realms

The esoteric traditions of East and West tell us that we, as conscious entities, are more than the mind. In fact, one of the fundamental illusions that has been stamped upon our brains is that the physical is all that is real. So-called transcendental or altered states of consciousness connect us with other dimensions available to us, that we can relate to with senses other than simply the logical mind. These types of experiences are not as rare or weird as often thought - most of us have felt uncommonly moved by the awe of a violent storm, the silence of a beautiful sunset, the might of a roaring river, exhilaration of speed in skiing or running, those times when so totally relaxed that we just seem to "melt" and time stands still. These "peak experiences" have been felt by most of us. What we may not have realized is that this experience of reality is probably more "true" than our usual fear-dominated everyday mode of trials and tribulations which keeps us on an endless wheel of mental gymnastics and regurgitation.

The upsurge in interest in phenomena which are not easily understandable by ordinary logic has led to the active participation by many in meditation and spiritual practices which attune and access qualities which have been named psychic, intuitive, feminine - those parts of our being which can foretell disaster many miles away, which can "feel" the breeze, marvel at the sunset, and intuit what is "going on" in another person. To develop and pay attention to the intuitive, the spiritual, is not to refute science or logic. Rather, all of these aspects of consciousness represent the sum total of our developed awareness.

When physicists in this century were confronted with a paradigm which didn't conform to currently respected dogma, they literally had to declare ignorance - what had appeared to be simply could not be so, according to the rules of physics. This had led physicists to adopt a position more familiar in the past to that of the philosophers or mystics - that much of the way we view reality is an illusion. Much of western science is based upon the premise of an objective observer - this premise has been shown to be untrue. There is no such thing as an isolated, objective observer. Every particle, action, person, thing, is interconnected to the rest of the universe. This has led to the development of what has been called the holistic paradigm, a way of looking at things in their entirety - remembering that the whole is not simply the sum of all the separate parts.

Men of vision who have spanned the worlds of vision and science have always been with us and we benefit from the legacy of their ability to "see" beyond the obvious, to "imagine" things that simply could not be explained. In their time, Copernicus and Galileo were ridiculed for postulating that the Earth was not the centre of the universe. Leonardo da Vinci had the vision to design a flying machine centuries before this marvel became a reality. Kekule literally "dreamed" the vision from whence came the resonance theory in chemistry. Even the discovery of penicillin can be partly attributed to the farsightedness of Alexander Fleming not throwing away the fuzzy petri dish with the white mould growing on it. Almost all the great discoveries were probably thought impossible at the time they were proposed. This simply reflects the limited capacity of our left-brain to go beyond what is known into the unknown. Science at its essence is a great leap into and exploration of the unknown. True expansive science, which utilizes all our faculties, is at one with magic, alchemy, the historical pursuit of great art and creation.

The Healing Abilities Of Organic Germanium Defy Normal Logic

Organic Germanium appears to be able to effect therapeutic benefit in almost every illness imaginable. This in itself makes this substance highly suspect to our sceptical mind - it almost seems too good to be true, and therefore could be considered to be yet another phoney "miracle" cure. However, in this case, the rigorous scientific evidence to date of its efficacy pinpoints properties which are proven and understandable scientifically. Therefore we have measured and can verify organic Germanium's immune-enhancing, oxygen-enriching, free radical scavenging, and analgesic properties. Good. But, what if we go beyond the purely logical, measurable entities and entertain speculation about other non-physical properties about this element Germanium which may help to explain some of its "elixir"-like qualities? It is not necessary to believe in esoterica to entertain speculation - merely to suspend disbelief. The truth is that we don't really know all there is to know about Germanium - perhaps in speculating we will come closer to the truth and discover more of its secrets.

Is Organic Germanium An Elixir?

Dr. Asai had the original insight and conceived the idea of organic Germanium being of therapeutic value in the body, and also worked for decades as a researcher to actually synthesize the organic form of this element. Dr. Asai says in his book about this substance:

"...my connection with germanium started by chance, certainly, but I cannot help perceiving there a working of some supernormal inevitability....when I review the seventy-odd years of my life, I seem to find a consistent thread or a command from some outside source that transcends my own will which has determined my continued research of this amazing compound....it is a substance understandable only through high level meditative deliberations with a highly sharpened mind....when I gaze upon the single crystal of germanium with its silver-grey sheen, I have the illusion of seeing my whole life crystallized in this substance; I also feel, on the palm of my hand, the touch of a substance I am tempted to describe as the fountain of life that fills the universe."

The notion of an elixir is as old as man himself. It is the much sought-after quest for the philosopher's stone, of transmuting base metals into gold, of the substance which if drunk, could grant eternal youth and life. Is there substance to this quest, or are these mere fairy tales? The alchemical formulae for the philosopher's stone are well-guarded secrets granted only to those initiates entitled to the knowledge; however, certain principles have come down to us through the ages which offer a useful point of departure when attempting to discuss organc Germanium as a potential elixir.

One criterium for the elixir substance is that it be from the earth, an ore, a metal. Germanium certainly fulfils this property. Also, that during its transmutation it be "fired" to be purified. Germanium is extracted during the smelting of zinc and copper ores. Continuing on in this vein, that during an intermediate stage it be a white, crystalline substance, soluble in water. Organic Germanium is a white crystalline substance, water soluble. Not being an accomplished alchemist, I cannot talk with great authority of organic Germanium being an elixir; however, I point out these qualities which bear a striking resemblance to the age-old alchemical mysteries and thus perhaps inspire contemplation of this element's ultimate potential.

What Does Number 32 Represent?

Dr. Asai consulted several noted religious and spiritual experts on divination systems, all of whom independently asserted that of number 32 "the substance is the origin of all creatures and substances and forms the centre of all things in the universe and performs miracles".

In the Quabala, the western esoteric tradition of magic (27), the numbers 3 + 2 add up to 5, which represents the sphere of Gevurah, of precision and strength on the pillar of form of the Tree of Life. Also, 32 represents four 8's, or 8 in the four worlds of the Quabalistic system. The number 8 represents the sphere of Hod, which represents the mind, the will, the magician, the healer, also upon the pillar of form of the Tree of Life.

In the Chinese esoteric tradition, the numbers 3 and 2 represent the heaven and earth, and the energy moving and joining them together could represent a great healing substance.

Germanium Is A Crystal

Crystals embody energies which can be effectively channelled for insight and healing. The healing properties of crystals are becoming well known, and many people are learning to attune and utilize these healing energies for personal and planetary healing. The healing nature of crystals is thought to be derived from "energy" fields, which ultimately are a consequence of electrons creating these energy fields (7). Organic Germanium in its solid form is a crystal, and, of course, one of the most fundamental properties of Germanium is its semi-conductor nature, its ability to donate and receive electrons easily. Many of organic Germanium's healing properties may be due to its intrinsic electronic qualities.

Germanium And Energy Fields

When attempting to rationalize how a substance can actually work to alleviate the symptoms of many diverse illnesses, I have over and over again returned to the concept of somehow altering the electric potential, the energy field of an individual. In Chinese medicine, chi or ki is the energy field. When an individual is sick, his energy is "blocked", and treatments such as acupuncture can "unblock" and bring his energy into alignment, or balance, where healing can occur.

Could it be that organic Germanium is actually working at a fundamental energy level of the body, helping to restore balance to a system out of balance?

Recently some experimental results were communicated to me by an electro-acupuncturist from Germany, who has been using methodology according to Dr. Reinhold Voll, which has intricately calibrated settings on the electrical scale with corresponding conditions. In these reported electro-acupuncture experiments, various foods, flour, grain and bread caused severe pain and allergic reaction. When the grain and flour were soaked in Germanium water, the points were no longer painful and appeared to reach equilibium. If, in addition to being soaked in Germanium water, the bread, grain, flour and water were also placed in a magnetic field of 40 hertz, the substances not only were not painful, but also insecticides could no longer be detected.

Other experiments documenting organic Germanium's biophysical properties have been performed (55), pointing to this substance's ability to influence energetic and magnetic properties.

It is intriguing, albeit still premature, to link Germanium's action with those of energetic healing phenomena which work with the "subtle energy fields" of the body.